Michael Jackson's Evolving Style

According to a sneak preview of the interview to be aired on Thursday (video below), Paris talked about the lengths her dad went to protect her from the paparazzi -- including wearing colorful masks in public.

"I was like, this is stupid, why am I wearing a mask? But I kinda realized the older I got he only wanted to protect us, and he explained it to us, too."

Life and Times: Michael Jackson

The teen said she was happy Jackson, who died at age 50 in 2009, made her and her two siblings do it because no one recognized her when she enrolled in school.

"When I came to Buckley (school), they didn't know who I was. I was like, yes, I have a chance to be normal," Paris told DeGeneres.

But Paris is now ready for the limelight, pursuing the acting career she said her celebrity dad was always supportive of. The "Today Show" reports that she is set to star in the movie, Lundon's Bridge and the Three Keys, based on a yound adult fantasy novel.

"My dad was in the movie moonwalker, and I knew he could sing really well, but I didn't know he could act. So I saw that and was like 'wow, I want to be just like him," Paris said.

When she told Jackson about her big ambitions, she said they would practice improv together "and he would give us little scenarios, and he would say 'okay, in this scene you're going to cry.' And I'd cry on the spot."

Paris also recalled the most memorable thing her pop legend dad ever said to her. "He said: 'If I died tomorrow, always remember what I told you.' And I took his advice, and I remember everything he told me," she said.

According to the movie's website, Paris will play Lundon O'Malley in the film about "the war between the land and the sea" that combines live action and animation

As for Lindsay Lohan's appearance on the show, there's no word if she'll be able to make another appearance to promote her much-publicized Playboy cover. "Lindsay had a travel-related issue arise that took a few hours to sort out," Lohan's rep, Steve Honig, told Access Hollywood. "It has been resolved and she will be back in Los Angeles in time for her court appearance."